QUÉBEC CITY, CANADA – No.1 seed Eugenie Bouchard closed out the first round at the Coupe Banque Nationale with a solid victory over Mandy Minella, 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier in the day, CiCi Bellis scored her first win as a professional tennis player in a hard-fought battle against American qualifier Danielle Lao. She needed seven match points to close out her final service game, but she got the job done 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 after two hours and twenty minutes.

“I knew Danielle was playing well – I mean, she passed qualies and beat someone really good in the first round,” Bellis said after the match. “I knew it was going to be a tough one, I’m just glad I got through.”

Yesterday, Bellis announced that she was turning professional after a summer of great results, including a third-round appearance at the US Open. Now into the quarterfinals of the Coupe Banque Nationale, it looks like

“I feel really confident after my summer of WTA tournaments and then the US Open,” Bellis explained. “I think it was time. It was an easy decision to make – I’m was very excited about it.”

Bellis will face another American in the quarterfinals after Jessica Boserup knocked out No.7 seed Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-3.

A pair of qualifiers also made their way to the quarterfinals after Lauren Davis defeated No.8 seed Samantha Crawford 6-4, 6-1 and Tereza Martincova defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

More to come…